Marmite, the savory and umami British food spread, has gone out of stock at major supermarket chains and retailers across Singapore.
Local media reported that the condiment has disappeared from outlets of the city-state’s biggest supermarket chains, including FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Cold Storage and Giant.
A FairPrice outlet’s staff told The Straits Times the spread had been missing from its inventory for several months while employees at a Sheng Siong store said they had not received any recent shipments.
Mothership also reported that searches of the major supermarkets’ websites returned no Marmite listings.
The spread is still available at some online sellers, but at steep prices. On Shopee, only a handful of sellers were still offering 8g sachets for S$4.50 (US$3.48) each as of late last week. In comparison, a 200g jar used to sell for S$7.08 at FairPrice.
Marmite is a dark, sticky spread made from yeast extract and is known for its intensely savory, salty and umami flavor.
While commonly eaten on toast in the traditional British style, the condiment has also found its way into Singaporean cuisine, where it is used in popular dishes such as Marmite chicken and Marmite pork ribs.
The product is made by consumer goods giant Unilever. The firm in late March said it had agreed to combine its food business, including Marmite, with U.S.-based McCormick in a deal that would leave Unilever and its shareholders with 65% control in the combined company, CNBC reported.
Source: VN Express